A Second Chance
by LivForAPurpose
Summary: The night when Jenny lost it all, she gained the world. She didn't know it at the time, but this wasn't an ending for her; it was just the beginning.
1. A Close Call and Some Comforting

Everyone had gone to bed, and Jenny was left alone with her thoughts. And her tears. Everything that could have gone wrong with her night did. She was devastated. After going home from the hospital, she and her family had a talk at home. She apologized for everything, and they forgave her. She realized that she wasn't completely alone; she had the one person who cared the most about her holding her hand the whole time. Her dad told her that he was disappointed, but that he still loved her, and then he went to bed. Dan came over and gave her a hug. He said that everything would be alright, but the look on his face said otherwise. Lily frowned and told her she was sorry for the way things turned out. Everyone left and went to bed; except one. Eric stayed with her. He sat by her for a long time, then took her hand and walked to her room. She sat down on her bed, not saying a word. He sat down beside her and wiped a tear from her face. She didn't smile like he thought she would. She only sat there with a blank stare on her face. Maybe she was in shock, maybe she didn't want to think about it. Whatever it was, he could tell he wasn't getting through to her. He stood up and took a brush from her nightstand. He began gently brushing her hair as he whispered soft words of encouragement into her ear. He was confused when she cried even harder as he did these things. "Maybe it's the clothes," he thought.

He kissed her forehead and stood up, this time going into her dresser drawer in search of a t-shirt and looked back at her when he found some, but she had closed her eyes and seemed to be in her own world. He walked over to her but didn't sit down this time. "Jenny, Jen? Here, let's get you out of those clothes and put on something more comfortable," he said, tugging slightly on her arm.

She said nothing but stood up and walked to her bathroom. She took the clothes from Eric and went into the bathroom. She was in there for a long time, and Eric began to worry. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He slowly opened the door, but rushed in when he saw her. "Jenny!" he cried, grabbing her wrists to pull her to her feet.

She was lying on the floor of the bathroom. There was blood on the floor. She was sobbing and holding a razor in her left hand. She was shaking."I-I couldn't do it." she stuttered.

He looked at the floor and saw that the blood hadn't come from and cuts from the razor. She hadn't cut herself yet. "Oh, Jenny!" he said with a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness you're okay."

He pulled her into a tight hug before loosening his grip to see where the blood had come from. He looked to her dress that was now lying on the floor, ripped to shreds. There wasn't much blood; much less than he had thought at first. "Jen, wh-where did that blood come from?" he asked, not able to figure it out.

"I-It was from earlier. I-I thought I got it all off, but it kept coming and-" she was crying too much to continue.

It was then that he realized where the blood was from. "Do we need to take you to a doctor? I mean, is that normal? Are you okay?" he asked, speaking quickly and running a hand through his hair.

"I'm fine, I think. I just need to, I don't know. I feel gross and dirty and terrible. It was all my fault, Eric! I've ruined everything!" she exclaims.

"Don't say that, Jen. I'm still here," he says softly.

"Well, at least, there's still one person who doesn't hate me," she says with a sarcastic laugh.

"Oh, how could I hate you? I mean, you can be really mean, but the people who don't love you don't matter, Jenny. That's the thing about love; it's only real love if you love through the ups and downs too. No matter how much you want to hate that person, you love them because they mean everything to you, and you just can't let them go. When you love someone, you stick by them, even if they are being completely crazy." he said, walking back to the bed with Jenny in tow.

She looked him in the eye then, and saw this glimmer, a sparkle perhaps, and that was the moment things started to change for our dear Jenny Humphrey.

She climbed into bed and he pulled the covers over her. He had washed her face, and it was now make up free. He thought she had never looked more beautiful, but she disagreed. She thought she was ugly now. And more so on the inside. But he told her that he loved her anyways and that he always would. She smiled for the first time that night, and he smiled back. "Will you be okay tonight? Do you want me to stay?" he asked, pushing the hair away from her face.

"I'll be okay. Go get some sleep." she replied, smiling slightly.

He untangled himself from the blankets, and from her arms, and walked towards the door. Just before he left, he turned around and looked at her one more time. "I'm right next door if you need me," he said.

She nodded and turned around, not able to watch as he there she was; alone with her biggest demon; alone with herself. So she cried a bit more, quietly as to not wake the rest of the house, but not quietly enough.


	2. A Late-Night Talk

Eric had just pulled the covers over his arms when he heard soft crying from Jenny's room. He was really tired, as it was already three in the morning, but he decided to get up and check on Jenny. He didn't want her to hurt herself. He walked quietly into her room and closed the door behind him. He walked slowly to her bed and sat on the edge, just a few inches from her feet. She sat up when she felt him sit down. She couldn't see very well since it was dark, so she asked who it was. "It's me. I heard you crying and thought I should check up on you," he replies.

"Thanks. I think I'll be alright, though. I just, I wanted it to be special, and it was nothing like I had imagined. I wanted roses and music and laughter and love. And I got sweat and blood and tears and hate." she says, pulling the covers away to make room for him.

He found his way to the head of the bed and laid down beside her, pulling the covers over himself. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she lays her head on his chest. "I'm sorry it was like that. It's not right. You should have had your roses and music. And you definitely should have felt loved. I mean, that's sacred, you know? You should feel safe and loved and cared about. You should know that the person you are with loves you and that you love him. I'm really sorry you didn't get that." he says, running his fingers through her hair.

It was a special moment for them. They hadn't had many like it. It was as if time had stopped then, and all that was left was the two of them and their friendship. Because through everything, they still had each other. And, like Eric said earlier, they may get mad at each other sometimes, but if they ever really need each other, there's no stopping them. "What was it like for you? Did you have it like you dreamed of?" she asks.

"Well, no. I haven't really done it yet. I wanted to wait too. I know it must seem silly, but, it's just what I wanted." he replies, with a sheepish smile.

"It's not silly. I wanted it too. I just didn't have the strength to do it. I wish I would have been stronger. I wish I wish I would have at least had someone like you instead of Chuck. Chuck doesn't care about me, but at least, I know that you wouldn't leave me five minutes later for another girl. Or, well, any girl for that matter." she laughs bitterly.

"I almost wish, no, I wish I could have done something. I wish I would have been there. I wish I could have stopped you. You're right about that, though. I wish you could have been with someone who loves you." he said, looking down, not meeting her eyes.

She just looked at him, her eyes filling with tears again, "But nobody loves me, Eric. I mean, I know that Dan and my dad love me, but they are also really disappointed in me and I can't look them in the eye now. Especially Dan. You know, I told you about that time on the roof with Chuck, right? It was at the kiss on the lips party that Blair threw. Dan and Serena saved me that night. Now Dan thinks it was all for nothing because I went ahead and gave myself away to Chuck anyway. I was so scared. I mean, I knew what I was doing. It was my fault, but I was scared anyway. I know it doesn't make sense, but I was scared."

"You shouldn't have been scared. You should have felt safe and loved, Jenny. And I love you. You know that." he says quietly, with a twinge of pain in his voice.

"By the time I wanted to back out, it was too late. I was already too far in. And it was over so quickly. Only ten minutes or so. It was just like Damien said. He told me that it didn't matter and that it would be over quickly. I didn't believe him, but it did go fast. So fast. And I didn't want that, but I didn't know how to stop it. I wanted gentle and slow and, and, I wanted to be loved!" she said, in a loud whisper.

"I know. I know. But even if the whole world turns against you, you know that I still love you, Jenny. You know that, don't you?" he asks, and she nods," Good, now do you want to go out? We can get some ice cream or something to get it off of your mind if you want." he says, trying to calm her.

"I don't know. I'm a mess right now. People might see me and I don't want anyone to see me like this." she says, gesturing to her face and body.

"You look beautiful. Let's go. I'll leave a note for our parents. Come on." he says, standing up and grabbing her wrists to pull her out of bed.

"Fine! But we can't stay out too late. Or early, I guess. I have to be back before everyone wakes up at six. We only have about two hours." she says, putting on her shoes.

"Well we had better hurry then," he replies, walking to the window and climbing onto the fire escape.

He holds out his hand and she takes it. Then they run onto the street and head to the nearest all-night restaurant. "We're going to be okay, Jenny. You're going to be okay," he says, releasing her hand as they sit down at a table.

"Yeah, I think maybe I am." she replies, smiling.

But neither of the could see just how not okay life was about to become.


	3. Tickling and Pillow Fights

They returned home at 4:58. They had been laughing and messing around but quieted down when they got close to the penthouse. They crept quietly into Jenny's room. "Oh, you were right, Eric. That was fun," she says as they climb under the covers once more.

"I'm glad. Did it help any?" he asks, looking at her with hopefulness in his eyes.

"Yeah, I think it did. Thank you," she replies.

"Do you want to try to sleep now? I can leave if you want." he offers.

"There is no way I'll be able to sleep tonight. It's almost morning now anyway. But I'm also kind of tired of talking. What should we do?" she asks.

"I don't know. Do you want to watch a movie or something?" he replies, shrugging.

"I guess. Ugh! I don't know! I just feel crazy and I don't know what's going on with me? What is wrong with me?!" she exclaims, running her hands through her hair.

"Well, there are a lot of things. Where would you like me to start?" he jokes, but seeing her sad eyes, he becomes serious and looks her in the eye. "There is nothing wrong with you, Jenny."

His eyes brighten with realization, and Jenny can't help but be curious. "What? What is it?" she asks excitedly.

"I think I just figured out what we should do." he says, his voice matching her excitement.

"And what would that be?" she asks.

"This!" he exclaims, taking the pillow from under her head and hitting her in the stomach with it.

"Oh, it's on!" she says, picking up another pillow and hitting him back.

They go on like this for a few minutes until Jenny decides to cheat. "Hey! You can't tickle me! That's against the rules!" he pants, out of breath from laughing.

"What rules? There are no rules for pillow fights!" she laughs.

"Well, there are now! I declare that tickling is now against the rules. If one player tickles another, the tickled player has the right to get the tickler back in any way he chooses." he says in a fake fancy voice.

"Oh, and how are you going to do that?" she asks playfully.

"Like this!" he exclaims, pouncing on her and skillfully tickling her ribs.

She laughed and howled and tickled him back. In the end, they were both a tangled, sweaty mess of laughs and smiles. It was a good change, Eric thought, from the kind of mess they had been hours ago that night. They both lay on their backs, out of breath and laughing. "Well, how was that for fun?" he asks.

"It was the best. Thank you," she replies, smiling.

"I have another surprise for you." he says, standing up.

"What? Another one? Eric, you don't have to do anything for me. I-" she began before he cuts her off.

"I thought about what you said earlier and I decided to do something about it. Come with me," he says as he pulls her off of the bed.

They sneak out again for the second time that night. This time, the walk was slow and pleasant. The sun had just begun to rise and the air was cool and fresh. The pair found their way to a hotel down the street from the penthouse. It was an expensive hotel. Jenny never thought of staying there, but Eric waltzed right in and told the receptionist his name. To Jenny's surprise, he was handed a key. He gestured for her to join him and so she did. "How did we get to check in this early? It's like, 5:30 in the morning!" she asks, stunned.

"I have my ways. Now, come on! You have to see your surprise!" he says, pulling her towards the end of the hallway.

He unlocks the door and covers her eyes. She giggles and puts her hands over his. He leads her into the room and shuts the door behind him with his foot. "Surprise!" he says, removing his hands from her eyes.

She gasps when she sees what it is. The room is completely candlelit. There are rose petals all over the floor and bed. Soft, slow music plays in the background. She covers her mouth with her hand and shakes her head in disbelief. "Eric, I, how did you do this? Why did you do this? How did you know that this is, what?" she stutters, shocked.

"When you told me about how you wished it would have been, I knew I had to do something. It wasn't right, Jen, the way he treated you. You deserved so much better." he says, walking to the bed and sitting down.

"But, what are you going to do? I mean, it's not like there can be a do-over. There are no second chances with this thing. Serena told me that, but I didn't listen to her. And it's not like you can just conjure up a guy who loves me to have the do-over with anyway. It's a nice idea, I'll give you that, but it can't work." she says, discouraged and confused.

"You're right. We can't do it over. But sometimes there are second chances. It won't be the same, maybe, but it will be something. Just, forget about the other one and think of this as your first. You can forget all about him and just have a second chance. Make this your second chance." he says encouragingly.

"You're only forgetting one little detail; the guy." she says and he laughs.

"Oh, you are right. I forgot the guy!" he laughs, but she doesn't smile.

"Well it's not going to work without another person, Eric." she snaps.

"Okay, well sit down here beside me and I'll explain it to you." he says.

She walks to the bed, crossing her arms as she sits. He takes her hand in his and looks into her eyes. She notices how nervous and scared he looks. She pulls away fro him and asks what's wrong. "Well, I thought that maybe, since you know that I love you, that I could be a good substitute. I mean, only if you don't mind such a terrible specimen. I just thought that it might be a good second chance for you to be able to feel loved and cared for and safe. You do feel safe with me, don't you? And ou know that I love you?" he explains, still nervous.

"Y-you would do that for me? I don't think I knew just how much you loved me until now. But it's your first! Don't you want to be with someone you think you'll spend the rest of your life with?" she asks.

"No, because that hardly ever works out. I want to be with someone I know I will spend the rest of my life with. You. We are best friends. I love you, and you love me. We are always there for each other. I know I always want you to be around and I hope you feel the same. I want to be with you." he says.

She sits there in silence for a minute, thinking over his words. How could he want to be with her? "What am I supposed to say? You know I love you. But what if we change after this? What if our relationship isn't the same?" she asks.

"I won't let it change. And even if we are a bit different, I will never not love you. we will always be best friends." he replies.

"Okay. If you're sure about this..." she says hesitantly.

"We don't have to do it if you don't want to." he says quickly.

"No, I just want to be sure I'm doing the right thing. I, uh, I don't really know what to do. With chuck, he just took over and-" she says before he cuts her off.

"Don't talk about him. A second chance, remember? He didn't happen." he says, climbing to the top of the bed. "Besides, I don't think we need to think about it. Just go with it, you know?" he adds.

"Okay, well, I guess I'll start off with I love you, Eric. Thank you so much," she says, climbing next to him.

"Do you feel safe and loved?" he asks.

"I do. I'm ready now," she says, climbing under the covers.

He smiles and joins her. "Me too. And, I love you too." he says.


	4. A Visit and a Confession

A/N: Okay, sorry it took so long for this chapter, but this is a biggie so I wanted it to be good. Here you are, chapter 4! Enjoy! Oh, and I really appriciate reviews so... OKay, I'll leave you to read now. Love you guys! :) Have a great day!

5 months later...

Jenny has moved to Hudson to live with her mother. Eric hasn't seen her since she came back for that one day and announced the reason for her banishment to the whole world. That was three months ago. At first, they talk every day. They miss each other so much. After a few weeks, though, she only talks to him a few times a week. When 3 months have passed, she only texts him once a week. Eventually, she doesn't talk to him at all. He wonders if it has something to do with that one night they spent together. But then he thinks it couldn't be that. She would have stopped talking to him long ago if that were the case. They've been best friends for so many years. They've been through everything together. She knows she can trust him. So why won't she just talk to him? He calls her almost every day for awhile but decides to give her some space when she completely ignores his calls for a week straight. He leaves her alone for a whole month. It's the longest month of his life. He thinks it is comparable to his time in the Ostroff Center. He feels just as lonely. He thinks about just driving up to see her, but who knows if that would push her even further away from him. He doesn't want that. He didn't know who to turn to for help with this matter. He asks Dan for advice, but he hasn't heard from her in a while either. He asks Serena, thinking he could use a girl's perspective. Not knowing about 'that night', she brushes it off as mood swings. He talks to Rufus, even, but he says that, as far as he knows, Jenny is fine. She is obviously not fine. He doesn't ask his mother, thinking she'll probably have the same answer as Serena. He isn't really friends with Blair or Nate, but how would they help him anyway? He has no one else to turn to. It frustrates him. Usually, he goes to Jenny when he needs advice, but now he doesn't have her. With nowhere to go, not knowing what to do, he makes his way to a hotel on the Upper East Side. That's how our dear little Eric Van Der Woodsen found himself at the doorstep of none other than Chuck Bass himself. He still hates him a little. Even though he believes he was sincere in his apology, he doesn't trust him. But he has nowhere else to turn. Chuck is surprised to see his young friend at his door but lets him in. "Well, hello. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asks.

"I need help. Believe me, you are the last person I wanted to come to about this, but you are the only one who might understand. See, you have a lot of, um, experience with women and I-" he begins.

"You want advice on women? Eric, why-" he begins slowly.

"I didn't want anyone to know about this. It was supposed to be a secret. But, I need help. I can't figure out what to do. I asked Dan, Serena, even Rufus, but they have nothing because I couldn't tell them the whole story. I mean, imagine it: 'Hey, guys! So remember that one night when Chuck and Jenny slept together? Yeah, well, to comfort her, I slept with her too. But now she won't talk to me. What should I do?' I don't think that would go over very well." he says, nervous about what he will think.

"Wait, you slept with Jenny Humphrey?" He asks, seemingly shocked.

"I just wanted to make her feel better. You should have seen her! I mean, everyone was mad at her. Disappointed. I took her back to her room and we talked and she cried. She just would not stop crying. She changed her clothes and washed her face and then we went out and got ice cream at, like, four in the morning. It was great. I heard her talking about how she wished it had been and I told her to forget that it even happened. She said she just wished she could have a second chance. So, I arranged something. I called a hotel and set everything up. She loved it. There were chocolate and roses and music. I didn't do anything she didn't want to. I told her to pretend that you had never happened. Everything was fine with us. Afterwards, we cuddled a bit, and then we got up and left. We kept talking and it was all good between us. At first, we talked every day. Now we haven't talked in a whole month." he explains.

Chuck looks saddened when Eric mentions his time with Jenny. He is truly sorry that he hurt her. "Did you give her some space? Maybe she just needs time-" he tries.

"I have given her space for this whole month. I didn't call this whole time. I just want to know that she is okay. What should I do?" he asks, desperate.

"If you've given her some time, go get her. Go to her and ask her what's wrong. Maybe she wants to see if you care enough to find out what is the matter." he suggests.

"You think I should?" he asks, not sure if it's the right thing to do.

"Of course! Go, get your friend!" he says with a chuckle, "I just can't believe little Eric is finally a man."

Eric simply shakes his head and walks out, mumbling a thank you under his breath. He thinks about what Chuck had said. Should he really go after her? All he wants to do is see her and know that she's alright. He wants to go see her more than anything. As he walks back to his home, he wrestles with himself. He wants to go to her, but he knows in his heart that that is not what she would want. He knows deep down that she wants him to wait for her to come to him herself. But what if by the time she comes to him, she's no longer herself? He reaches his home still as confused and conflicted as when he left.

He walks in the penthouse to see something completely unexpected. It's Jenny. She's standing in his living room, talking to Dan. He doesn't make himself known immediately but waits to hear what she is saying. She looks different. He can't quite tell what it is, but she's different. "Dan, what am I going to do? I am ruined! I won't get into college, I won't get a job! How am I going to tell everyone? Oh, this is horrible!" she cries.

Eric is very confused by all of this. Ruined? Dan gives her a hug and smooths down her hair soothingly. "You'll be okay, Jenny. You're Jennifer Tallulah Humphrey. And we Humphreys have a way of getting things done no matter the obstacles. You will go to college if you want and get a job and become the most famous fashion designer in the world. We will still love you and we'll love him or her too. Everything will be okay." he says.

Love who? Eric doesn't understand what on earth she's talking about. She pulls away. "It's not okay, Dan! If it's Chuck's, I don't know what I'll do. And if it's not... Oh! That's even worse!" she exclaims.

"How is anyone a worse father than Chuck?" Dan asks, confused.

Chuck a father? How does that make any sense? Eric wonders why they are talking about Chuck being a father. "Because, when I got to Hudson, I met this guy. We became really good friends and I kinda developed a crush on him. But, the only problem was, he doesn't like girls. Well, long story short, things happened and we slept together. He doesn't even like me! What would I do if it's his?" she says.

He still doesn't know what 'it' is. "You will tell him and see what he has to say. I think he deserves to know, whoever he is. You saw how dad reacted when he found out about him and Lilly's child." Dan replies.

Eric doesn't know what Rufus and his mom's child has to do with anything. "I know. And I don't want my child to grow up not knowing who his or her father is," she replies with a sigh.

At this point, Eric can't hold back any more. He has to know what's going on. He steps out from his hiding place and reveals himself to Dan and Jenny. "Jenny?" he says, a confused look on his face.

"Eric! I didn't know you were here! Did you hear our conversation?" she asks, obviously scared of his presence.

"I heard some of it, but I don't understand. Is Chuck a father? Why are you ruined? What's going on?" he asks.

Until then, Jenny had been mostly facing away from Eric. Now she turns to face him fully. When she does, he gasps. "Y-you-you're p-pregnant?!" he exclaims, running his hands through his hair.

she looks at her feet, not wanting to look him in the eye. "Yes. I am."


	5. A Baby and A Father

Dan looks uncomfortable and turns to his sister. "Um, do you need me for this, Jen?" he asks, clearly wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"No, actually I need to talk with Eric alone if you don't mind." she replies, looking from Dan to Eric then back to Dan.

He nods and quickly retreats to another room. "So, how far along are you? I- how long have you known?" he asks.

She sits down on the couch and gestures for him to follow her. When he sits down, a foot or two away from her, she speaks. "You know how far along I am. It only happened twice. On the same night, actually. I've known for about two and a half months. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just, I was scared that you would be disappointed in me. I mean, I'm still in high school. I was scared that you would not want anything to do with me. You haven't called all month. I thought you had finally given up on me." she explains.

He frowns. "No, Jenny. I was just trying to give you some space. I was just about ready to go up there to find out what was wrong myself. I missed you so much."

"I missed you too. I just didn't know how to tell you. I mean, this is a huge deal. I don't know what to do." she says, leaning back against the couch.

"D-do you know who the father is, Jenny? Does anyone know about..." he asks.

"No, I wanted to tell you first. I didn't tell anyone. My mom was pretty supportive. I told her that I had only done it twice. Once with Chuck and then once with a boy in Hudson. I didn't tell her about us. I didn't think you would want her to know. But it doesn't matter anyway. Either way, it will be bad." she says.

"Why?" he asks, a bit confused.

"If Chuck is the father, he won't want a kid And especially not my kid. This would just drive a wedge between him and Blair. I know they are meant for each other. They will eventually figure that out. And if it's you... We could never be a family to this kid. You don't love me the way parents are supposed to love each other. You don't want to be a dad yet. Especially not with me. You have your whole life ahead of you, Eric. You won't want anything to do with my baby. You won't want to be his or her dad." she says sadly.

I turn to her. She is looking at her feet. "Jenny, look at me. Look at me!" I say, putting my fingers under her chin to lift her head, "I know this is scary. It is really scary, and I don't know what we are going to do yet, but I am not going to leave you. You are my best friend and I love you. I want you to be happy and I will support you in whatever decision you make."

"I don't understand. You-" she begins before he cuts her off.

"Jenny, I might not love you right now like parents do, but I do love you. And I will love your baby just as much. Or more, if that's possible. It doesn't matter really who the father is. Like you said before, we don't want to hurt Blair and Chuck. No matter hat that test says, I want to be by your side." he says.

"Why?" she asks, not able to believe his words yet.

"Because You are my best friend. We have to stick together through whatever. That's kind of the definition of best friends. Together no matter what. I'm here for you. I know it won't be easy. I know it's scary and I don't even know what we will do yet, but I do know that we will do it together." he says, smiling.

She smiles. "You know, I came here to tell you about this. I thought you would be a bit more upset."

He takes her hands in his and gives them a small squeeze. "I was a bit startled. It's a lot to tink about. I mean, I'm going to be a-a dad. That's crazy! Oh, do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet?"

"No, not yet. I wanted dad and Dan and you to be there when I find out," she replies.

"Hmm. Well do you want a boy or a girl?" he asks.

"Definitely not a girl! I'm afraid she would grow up to be too much like me," she replies.

"Oh, I think a little girl would be fun! She would be her daddy's little princess," he says, smiling.

"Yeah, but daddy's little princess would break her daddy's heart. I think a boy would be nice," she says.

"A boy would be good too. I would like either one. Do you have any ideas for a name yet?" he asks.

"Well, I know I said I don't want a girl, but if it comes to that, I've always had this thing for the name Christine. What do you think?" she says, sounding happier than before.

"I like it. And what would you name a boy?" he asks.

"I like James or Lain or something like that. What about you?" she says.

"Well, I haven't given much thought to it considering I didn't know I was going to be a dad so soon until about twenty minutes ago, but I think Eric Jr. has a nice ring to it." he says jokingly.

She slaps his arm lightly. "Okay, seriously, this time, please."

"Alright! I like Noah and Logan." he replies, rubbing his arm in mock pain, "But for a girl, I like Elizabeth. Maybe It could be Christine Elizabeth."

She smiles again. "That sounds good. Or it could be Noah James."

He takes her hand again and pulls both of their hands to her stomach. "Look, my two favorite people in the world. I just can't wait for you to get out here so I can hold you."

She feels a small kick and releases her hand from his and guiding his hand to where the baby is kicking. He looks up at her with wide eyes. "Woah. It's a real baby in there!" he exclaims, smiling.

"Yeah. It is," she says simply, smiling as well.

He bends his head down and kisses her stomach and then her hand. "I'm so happy, Jen. I know it doesn't make sense, but I'm just happy to be here with you and the baby right now."

"Me too." she replies.

"How did you sneak in here without getting Gossip Girl's attention?" he asks, suddenly curious.

"I wore a brunette wig and sunglasses. And this baby bump helped me cover up pretty well," she says, patting her stomach lightly.

"It's not too noticeable yet. But it will be soon. We will figure everything out tomorrow. For now, let's just have a day to lie down and relax and be together, all three of us." he says.

"I'd like that." she replies.

He lies down on the couch and she lies beside him. In only a few minutes, she is fast asleep. Eric, however, stays awake a bit longer, thinking about what will come tomorrow. He is worried about what will happen, but he knows that he and Jenny will be okay, no matter what.


	6. Pondering and Parenting

A/N: I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter up! I have been so crazy busy! I have been taking a math class and I'm in a play and I am singing for my town's 4th of July celebration. So I'm sorry and I' not sure when I will get the next on e done but I promise I will not abandon the story! Love you guys! Thank you for the reviews! :)

When he wakes up, it's just beginning to become dark outside. The eighteen-year-old boy, no, man sits up and stretches his arms, careful not to wake the sleeping girl at his side. He stands up and walks to the breakfast bar. He sits down and holds his head in his hands. It's so much to think about; to worry about. He's a dad. Well, he might be. Either way, he knows he won't leave Jenny. She is his best friend, and he will be with her no matter what she decides. The elevators doors make a 'ding' sound as they open and in walks Rufus. Eric suddenly remembers that he has no idea that Jenny is even here. He stands up and sprints to his stepfather. "Hey, what are you doing home? Don't you and my mom have some date planned? Christmas shopping or something?" he asks, trying to figure out why he was there.

"Yes, I just came home to change my clothes. I figured I should wear something a bit less..." he trails off trying to find the right word.

"Tacky? Old-fashioned? Horrendous? Yes, you should definitely change. And the faster the better! So, now, just go on up to your room and, there you go, okay, good. Here, let me help you pick out something!" he says as he follows Rufus up the stairs.

He tears through the closet as if he is searching for something and can't seem to find it. With half of his closet strewn across the floor and bed, Rufus steps in and exclaims, "Eric! What on earth are you doing?! I just want a different shirt. I don't need a new ball gown with accessories to match!"

Eric sheepishly stops his ravaging and turns to look at the older man. "Sorry. I just wanted you to be sure to impress mom tonight. I heard her say she has a surprise in store for you and I just wanted it to go smoothly." he explains, lying flawlessly.

"A surprise? Well then, maybe a nicer shirt is in order then. What do you think, Eric?" he asks his stepson.

"Um, maybe that one red shirt of yours. I heard mom say she loves you in it. You know the one?" he asks, searching for it.

What he said was true. His mother really does love that particular shirt on Rufus, and maybe if Rufus wears the shirt, it will prompt his mom to make a little surprise, buying him and Jenny a little more time. Rufus finally finds the shirt and clears a spot on the bed for it. Worried that Rufus would go downstairs and find Jenny, Eric makes another suggestion. "Maybe you could wear that tie my mom got you for your birthday. I know she would appreciate it."

"Alright, I guess I could do that for her. Especially if it means I get whatever surprise she has in store for us tonight," he says, sounding a tad excited.

Eric chuckles at Rufus's enthusiasm and quickly texts Jenny. He hopes she will wake up and see it. If she doesn't, her dad will catch her for sure. When she doesn't reply after a few moments, Eric begins to worry that she won't wake up and see it. She is a very heavy sleeper. "Hey, Why don't you try that outfit on while I go downstairs and grab something to eat. I'm starving!" he says, his voice quivering just a little.

Rufus just nods and Eric races down the stairs to the sleeping girl on the couch. He shakes her shoulder to wake her. "Jenny! Jenny, quick! We have to get you out of here before your dad sees you!" he whispers.

She sits up and rubs her eyes. "What?" she asks in a sleepy tone.

"Your dad is here and he is going to find you if we don't get you out of here quick!" Eric explains.

Her eyes widen a bit and she stumbles to her feet. He reaches up to steady her by holding her arm and she glances at him as if to say thank you. The two hurry into Jenny's room and hide out in there for a bit. After a few silent minutes, Eric goes back into the living room to see if the coast is clear. He sees nothing, and even calls for Rufus a few times, but hears nothing. "Okay, Jen, he's gone. It's funny, I didn't hear him leave. He must have been in a hurry. He did seem pretty excited to hear about the 'surprise' my mom has planned for him." he says, walking back to her room at a casual pace.

She comes out of her room and sits down on the couch once again. "What are we going to do? We can't hide this from him forever. Eventually, he's going to find out. I'm scared, but I want to tell him. I mean, it is his first grandchild. Well, unless you want to count Milo. But, he technically isn't even Dan's real son so... I'm getting off track. The point is, we have to tell him." he says, mostly to herself.

"I know. I just want to be able to prepare him a bit instead of just going up to him and saying, 'Oh, hello, Rufus. Guess what! Jenny is pregnant and the father is either me or Chuck and we just really have no idea. Also, Dan is the only other person who knows about this, so if you could keep it quiet for awhile, we'd like to do some damage control before blurting it out to the whole world. Thanks. Hope you enjoy being a grandpa again! Except this time, it's for real!" says Eric in a somewhat sarcastic tone.

It's then he notices that Jenny is looking right past him and the look on her face is one of horror. He warily turns around to see Rufus looking right at him. Rufus looks back and fourth between Jenny and Eric and sighs. "Well, this is a surprise, isn't it."


End file.
